German Shepherd

Posted July 26, 2015

THE GERMAN SHEPHERD IS AN ALL AROUND WORK DOG

This breed is one of the strongest, muscular dogs alive. It makes a fine family pet but mainly used by law enforcement and the military for many different reasons. The breed is an all around work dog. It still herds sheep but due to its intelligence and ease of training makes this dog a jack of all trades. German Shepherd dogs come in three color variations: white, black & tan and tan plus black. The black and tan version is what most people are used to; the so called rin tin tin dog.

SOCIALIZE THE DOG VERY EARLY

The color of the breed often influences its personality. As a general rule the white German Shepherd is usually quite skittish and hard to work with; sort of like a Jekyll and Hyde dog. It can be quite aggressive with strangers. If one is going to keep the German Shepherd as a family pet you have to socialize this dog early with not only people that are out of the family but also other animals. A well trained German Shepherd can be a fantastic guard dog. It is very protective of its family. Like it or not, the German Shepherd is the #1 biting dog in the U.S. That is why it is better suited for the military and law enforcement. The dog can do a lot with that super strong jaw of theirs! The amount of force that this breed can apply when its jaws shut is tremendous! Police use these dogs to knock down and go after a criminal yet with the right commands, will stop when law enforcement catches up with the individual.

FINE THERAPY DOG

Since the breed is so intelligent, it is often used as a seeing eye dog. They just love to work! The major issue associated with the German Shepherd is canine hip dysplasia; a congenital deformation of the hip joint. The best way to prevent this is to use parents that have been diagnosed negative for the condition by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). They can also develop bloat and heart problems which are often associated with large breeds of dogs. German Shepherd dogs are dogs that deserve respect. To watch a trained German Shepherd in action is something to behold. What determination! Learn more about the breed at Animal Planet’s® Dog Breed Selector.